UK Help with domestic VO

[Kamran]

Hi
I have a apex domestic vo. The light is on red. What does that mean? The switches on the product are red and grey. The red switches are up( i believe in on position) however the grey swith is down( i believe off) is that how they should be. Can someone please help

 

[marconi]

The red switch on the Apex should be up to be on. Where is the grey switch you mention and what does it say on it?

Constant red led means a fault condition. See pgae 13 of 18:

https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.u...stic_VO_Installation_and_User_Manual_2012.pdf

 

[Kamran]

The red switch on the Apex should be up to be on. Where is the grey switch you mention and what does it say on it?

Constant red led means a fault condition. See pgae 13 of 18:

https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.u...stic_VO_Installation_and_User_Manual_2012.pdf

Thank you for your reply. This is what it is. What is the VO for. Is it to donwith solar panels? (Which i have installed)

 

[marconi]

The grey switch on the far left is in the off position as shown by the green flag in the little window. Push it up to turn on. I strongly suspect the VO is part of your PV system to regulate the voltage to your home.

More pictures to show the installation would be helpful to confirm.

 

[Kamran]

The grey switch on the far left is in the off position as shown by the green flag in the little window. Push it up to turn on. I strongly suspect the VO is part of your PV system to regulate the voltage to your home.

More pictures to show the installation would be helpful to confirm.

When i turn the grey swith up the small flag goes red????? Should the flag be red or green???

 

[telectrix]

the grey switch unit is a MCB, 63A.the double pole switch on the right is an isolator. it's the type of device that would power a sub-main.
[automerge]1580720469[/automerge]

When i turn the grey swith up the small flag goes red????? Should the flag be red or green???

with the left switchup, it;s on and whatever it feeds will then have power. we need more info as it could be off due to a fault. switching on blindly could cause problems.

 

[Kamran]

the grey switch unit is a MCB, 63A.the double pole switch on the right is an isolator. it's the type of device that would power a sub-main.
[automerge]1580720469[/automerge]

with the left switchup, it;s on and whatever it feeds will then have power. we need more info as it could be off due to a fault. switching on blindly could cause problems.

What info would tou like?

 

[telectrix]

for a start, what does it feed? what is not currently working?

 

[Kamran]

for a start, what does it feed? what is not currently working?

I dont know. I dont even know if the solar panel system is working. This is all I have. The grey button on the VO was down and flag was green. Now I pushed it up and its gone red

 

[telectrix]

not seen anything like that unit before (pic #1).. perhaps another member will recognise it.

 

[Kamran]

This solar panel system was installed by a company that has gone bankrupt

 

[telectrix]

think the blue box is your solar inverter. suggest you find a local sparks who is conversant with solar installations.

 

[Kamran]

not seen anything like that unit before (pic #1).. perhaps another member will recognise it.

Sorry my question is still on the grey switch. Im confused now that iv put it up the flag is red. Should I put it back down again and let the flag stay on green?

 

[marconi]

It looks to me like the VO has been wired in incorrectly. Please take another photo which shows were the cables from the meter go - do they go into the VO at the bottom?

Your PV ac arrives along the black cable into the small enclosure with the gray switch. There should be two cables from this enclosure which join with the two cables from the meter and then go into the VO input. The VO output then goes to the Consumer Unit.

In your current arrangement the solar is connected to the output of the VO when it should be connected at the input of the VO together with the mains from the meter.

The VO should be wired in as shown in Figure 2 on page 8 of 16 of:

https://www.waxmanenergy.co.uk/media/upload/eav00401_pdf02.pdf

You will need to call back an electrician who can rewire as in Figure 2. This is not job for DIY!

 

[Mike Johnson]

To the OP, solar panels themselves are always live, don't mess with them if you don't know what you are doing.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Agree with Marconi, this looks like it is wired wrongly. The voltage optimiser is there to regulate your domestic voltage. It cannot do this in the present configuration if the solar inverter output is connected directly to the consumer unit, and the solar inverter may not be able to function correctly downstream of the optimiser. This needs a proper checkover and sort-out by a competent electrician. The VO might not technically be needed - some of these units appear to have been mis-sold as a magic energy-saver that does not deliver a useful benefit to the consumer under normal operating conditions.

 

[Kamran]

It looks to me like the VO has been wired in incorrectly. Please take another photo which shows were the cables from the meter go - do they go into the VO at the bottom?

Your PV ac arrives along the black cable into the small enclosure with the gray switch. There should be two cables from this enclosure which join with the two cables from the meter and then go into the VO input. The VO output then goes to the Consumer Unit.

In your current arrangement the solar is connected to the output of the VO when it should be connected at the input of the VO together with the mains from the meter.

The VO should be wired in as shown in Figure 2 on page 8 of 16 of:

https://www.waxmanenergy.co.uk/media/upload/eav00401_pdf02.pdf

You will need to call back an electrician who can rewire as in Figure 2. This is not job for DIY!

This is how it is wired(picture attached)
There are two wires coming from.smart meter amd two go into a black box

 

[Kamran]

Agree with Marconi, this looks like it is wired wrongly. The voltage optimiser is there to regulate your domestic voltage. It cannot do this in the present configuration if the solar inverter output is connected directly to the consumer unit, and the solar inverter may not be able to function correctly downstream of the optimiser. This needs a proper checkover and sort-out by a competent electrician. The VO might not technically be needed - some of these units appear to have been mis-sold as a magic energy-saver that does not deliver a useful benefit to the consumer under normal operating conditions.

That is right mis-sold alright
[automerge]1580752305[/automerge]

To the OP, solar panels themselves are always live, don't mess with them if you don't know what you are doing.

I wouldnt touch them its just that i am concerned by the grey switch on the VO box. Should it be up with red flag or down with green flag???

 

[marconi]

Until the vo is correctly wired in leave the grey switch down so the green flag shows and also move the red switch next to it down too. This does mean that any solar energy is not passed into your home or to the grid. This is a safe way to leave things until you employ an electrician. Ask the electrician to shield the exposed live screws in the small enclosure which has the grey switch.